MONROE, La. — Appalachian State University baseball notched 11 hits, its second highest total of the season, but left eight men on base in its series opening, 10-5, loss to ULM on Thursday night at Warhawk field.

The Mountaineers (4-18, 0-7 Sun Belt) fell into a 2-0 hole in the third inning when three Warkhawk (9-12, 1-3 Sun Belt) hits got down the left field line, two of which went for doubles.

Appalachian looked to answer in the top of the fourth with Matt Vernon and Conner Leonard both recording base hits. One batter late a throwing error by the ULM first baseman allowed Vernon to scamper home, Leonard to move to second, and Colin Schmid to reach saftely at first. 

After a wild pitch advance the runners over, Grayson Atwood and Brian Bauk struck out swinging to strand them in scoring position. 

The Warhawks then used big innings in the fourth and sixth to open 10-1 over the Apps. In the fourth, ULM plated one on a sacrifice fly and three more with a home run to right field. In the sixth, the Warhawks scored four runs on five hits and had the help of one Mountaineer error. 

App State tried to rally in the seventh inning. A walk followed by a throwing error got the first two Mountaineer batters on base. Chandler Seagle, Tyler Stroup, and Vernon then hit three-straight singles, driving in two runs. Seagle would make it home when Tanner-Mann Fix hit into a fielder's choice double play. 

Mountaineer relievers Stephen Schoch and Dallas DeVrieze would come into the game and hold ULM, allowing just hit in the seventh and eighth inning. Schoch struck out all four batters he faced. 

Vernon would take on one more run for the Apps, making it a 10-5 game in the ninth with a solo shot to left-center field. Vernon finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.

App State started Breydan Gorham (1-3) pitched 5.2 innings and was handed the loss after allowing nine earned runs on 12 hits. 

The Mountaineers will try to even the series in game two of the weekend series tomorrow when they trot Bobby Hampton out on the mound. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.